Matthew Frederick

Matthew Frederick is an American architect, urban designer, and author who serves as the creator, editor, and illustrator of the 101 Things I Learned series. His debut book, 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School, became a Los Angeles Times bestseller and has been translated into over 25 languages. The series is widely regarded as a "household classic" within design education.

Education and career

Frederick is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based architect and educator who has taught at the Boston Architectural College and Wentworth Institute of Technology. While serving as a program head in Boston, he pioneered a "normative master-apprentice" teaching style to distill complex architectural theories into clear, foundational directives.
In 2007, he published his first book, 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School, through MIT Press. Grounded in his classroom handouts and a philosophy of "informed simplicity," the volume earned a Silver Medal at the 2008 Independent Publisher Book Awards. Following this success, the series was acquired by Crown Publishing Group, where Frederick collaborates with various discipline experts to expand the "101 Things I Learned" brand.

Critical reception

Frederick's work has been noted for its accessibility, distilling professional concepts into concise lessons. The Designer's Review of Books highlighted the "Zen-like" presentation emphasizing foundational thoughts rather than "abstruse" jargon. Design publications such as Declad have noted that his visual style serves as a "handbook of inspiration" for both students and practitioners.

Selected works

101 Things I Learned in Architecture School – Author and illustrator101 Things I Learned in Urban Design School – Author 101 Things I Learned in Film School – Author 101 Things I Learned in Engineering School – Series Editor and illustrator 101 Things I Learned in Law School – Series Editor and illustrator